Bucket for steam shovels or the like



Dec. 18 1923.

W. C. SHEA BUCKET FOR STEAM SHOVELS OR THE LIKE 3/ 4 Filed Dec. 6, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 18 1923. mvaam W. C. SHEA BUCKET FOR STEAM SHOVELS OR THE LIKE FzlLled Dec. 6, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheef, 2

JA VE/WWR Mliz'ww @J Patented Dec. 18, 1923..

earner WILLIAM C. SHEA, OF SAN ANSELMO. CALIFORNIA.

BUCKET FOE STEAM SI-IOVELS OR THE LIKE.

Application filed December 6, 1922. Serial No. 605,215.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM C. SHEA, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of San Anselmo, county of Marin, State of California, have invented a new and useful Bucket for Steam Shovels or the like, of which the following is: a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in scoop buckets for steam shovels' and the like and has particular reference to a bucket having a drop door as a bottom member adaptedto be closed and locked at the beginning of the scooping operation and to be opened when the bucket reaches a dumping position. My invention concerns principally the means for closing and opening the door both of which operations are performed by the weight of the door and of the load respectively,the closing operation taking place automatically and the opening operation requiring a slight eifort on the part of the operator. The principal object of the invention is to provide operating means for the bucket that will. work with never failing accuracy, will prevent opening of the door at the wrong time and insure positive operation at operative times. The preferred form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 represents a side view ofa scoop bucket and the operating parts of a steam shovel, Figure 2 a bottom view of a drop door arrangement Figure 3 a detail view of a hook member assistingin' the closing operation, as viewed from line 44 of Figure 2, looking to the left, Figure 4 an enlarged sideview of the bucket, the door being shown in section taken along line 4t4 of Figure 2 and Figure 5 a side view of the bucket and its operating mechanism showing the bucket in its dumping position. While I have shown only the preferred form of the invention I wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Of the steam shovel only the boom (1) is shown with the dipper stick operatively associated therewith in a manner well known in the art, carrying at its exterior end the scoop bucket The latter is actuated by means of a cable (4) engaging the bucket while the dipper stick rides by eans f e .1 ap nio iw h wn shape of the end of the latch-bolt.

or dumpingposition and the rear end of v the bucket when the same 1s in lts initial position. The door is usually made of heavy material with the hinges (8) engaging a heavy pin (9) secured to the adjacent side member (10) somewhat forward of the plane of the door so that the bucket does, not have to move into an exactly vertical position for the purposeof causing the door to close by its own weight. 7

All the parts thus far described are well known in the art and no novelty is claimedfor the same. It should be understood however, that the dOOr is'sufficiently heavy to drop into a closing position and to even overcome some slight obstacle such as might be oflered by a latch operated by a spring tr or other yielding means and that the load picked up during the scooping action is sufficiently heavy to open the door by its weight when the bucket reaches its dumping position providing a latch or other means for holding the door is removed.

The present invention is principally concerned with the latch and its operating mechanism. The latter comprises a latch bolt (11) slidably supported in guide members (12) and adapted to engage on its forward travel a latch bar (13) supported on the front member (14) of thebucket. The forward end of the latch is shaped to present two slanting faces (16) and (17) as shown in Figure 4 which intersect one another atv the extreme end and the latch bar is. pro vided with .a hole-corresponding to the I The lower rear edge (18) of the latch bar is rounded to provide a surface on which the slanting face (17) can ride so as to be pushed upward when the door drops into its closing position. When the latter position recess so as to lock the door by its own ing action.

weight.

Due to the inclinedunder-surface (16) of the bolt the latter would lose its grip, howeven as soon as the bucket would be lifted sufficiently to allow the load picked up during the scooping action of the bucket to apply sufficient force unless some means were provided for locking the bolt. This means consists of the second bar (19) pivotally supported on the stud (21) disposed on the door rearwardly of the bolt and in line with the same. The latter has an inclined front end (22) adapted to engage the similarly inclined rear end (23) of the bolt and to drop into alinement with the" bolt when the front end of the latter engages with the recess in the latch bar. The alinement is maintained by a transverse member (24) pivoted to one of the hinges as shown at (26) and adapted to drop into operative position at the same time so as to laterally engage the bar'(19) through a roller (27). This transverse member may be operated for release action by the operator through the chain (28) secured thereto by the pin (29) having its free end fastened to a lever (31) pivoted to the dipper stick as at (32). A light cable engaging the free end of the lever extends to within operative proximity of the operator.

The device thus far described works as follows. As the bucket moves downwardly into its initial or vertical position the door drops into place. Normally the transverse member (24). is somewhat slower in its ac tion than the door itself so that the door gets an opportunity to force the bolt (11) rearwardlywhich includes the act of forcing the bar (19) sideways before the latter is locked againstlateral motion by the transverse member. place, however, immediately after the latch bolt has dropped into its locking position and has engaged with the recess in the latch bar so that now the bolt is firmly held in place and the bucket is ready for the scoop After a load has been picked up and the bucket has been lifted into dumping position the operator pulls on the cable (33) whereby the transverse member (24) is pulled out of engagement with member (19) so that now the load within the bucket can force the latch bolt (11) out of the recess due to the slanting engagement I at (16), pushing the bar (19) sideways and allowing thedoor to drop and the load to be discharged. The bucket is then returned .to its initial position when the door auto matically drops into closing position and the bolt, the bar (19) and the transverse member (24) into. locking position as previously described. f V Some times i happens, however, that this operation is interfered with by the prema- The latter motion takes ture dropping into locking position of the transverse member (24) which prevents the (34) shown inside view in Figure the straight end of which is pivoted to the transverse bar as shown at (36) near the pivot (26), while an intermediate portion is slidably guided through a block (37 pivotally held in a fork (38) secured to one of the hinge members (8). The curved portion of the hook is adaptedto. engage, immediately before the closing action of the door takes place, a stud (41) extending laterally from the rear end (9) of the bucket whereby its progress is momentarily retarded and the transverse member (24) prevented from dropping into place. Since the motion of the door itself is not affected by this hook there will be relative motion of the transverse member and the door causing the for.- mer to swing upwardly (as viewed in Figure 2) on its pivot. causes the hook to oscillate laterally on its pivot within the block (37), its lower end being thrown to the left on the arc of a circle while the hook is thrown to the right and kicked off the stud (41) whichnow no further interferes with the dropping into place of the transverse bar (24). Itshould be understood that this last described. mechanical motion is very swift in its action and affects the transverse member (24) only.

This latter 7 motion (41) without becoming activeanda collar (43) is adjiustably secured on the straight .portionof the hook above the block (37) to prevent the transverse member (24) from dropping beyond. an operative position.

' In case the latch bolt should hesitate to yield to the pressure of the load in the dumping position the same is started positively by means of the rod having wide slot (52) engaging the pin (29) pre viously referred to extending'throughthe transverse bar 24) and being rigidly connected to latch bolt by a transverse member (54). The engagement of the latter member 7 '3 with the rod is adjustable by' means "of two nuts (56) threadedly engaging the rod on opposite sides of the member (54). When the transversemember on being pulled up-" wardly reaches the end of the slot, which latter is sufficiently wide to not interfere with the peripheral travel of the pin (29), the latter will pull on the rod (51) and exert a positive pull on the latch bolt.

The depth of engagement of the forward end of the latch bolt with the recess in the latch bar can be adjusted by means of a with, a latch bar associated with the bucket adapted to receive the bolt, a slanting face on the bolt adapted to ride on the bar so as to be pushed upward when the door closes and to thereafter drop into engagement with the bar and means for locking said engagement comprising a second bar pivoted to drop into alinement'with the latch bar for preventing its withdrawal.

2. In a scoop bucket for a steam shovel, a hinged drop door tending to close by gravity when the bucket reaches an initial position having a latch bolt slidably associated there with, a latch bar associated with the bucket adapted to receive the bolt, a slanting face on the bolt adapted toride on the bar so as to be pushed upward when the door closes and to thereafter drop into engagementwith the bar and means for locking said engagement comprising a second bar pivoted to drop into alinement with the latch bar for preventing its withdrawal, the second bar and the latch bar having inclined engaging surfaces.

3. In a scoop bucket for a steam shovel, a hinged drop door tending to close by gravity when the bucket reaches an initial position having a latch bolt slidably associated therewith, a latch bar associated with the bucket adapted to receive the bolt, a slanting face on the bolt adapted to ride on the bar so as to be pushed upward when the door closes and to thereafter drop into engagement with the bar. a second bar pivoted to drop into alinement with the latch bar for preventing its withdrawal engaging the same on an in clincd plane and a locking member pivoted to drop into lateral engagement with the second bar for holding the same.

4. In a scoop bucket for a steam. shovel, a hinged drop door tending to close by gravity when the bucket reaches an initial position having a latch bolt slidably associated therewith, a latch bar associated with the bucket adapted to receive the bolt, a slanting face on the bolt adapted to ride on the bar so as to be pushed upward when the door closes and to thereafter drop into engagement with the bar, a second bar pivoted to drop into alinement with the latch bar for preventing its withdrawal engaging the same on an inclined plane and; a locking member pivoted to drop into lateral engagement with the second bar for holding the same, said locking member having means as sociated therewith allowing the same to be withdrawn and the latch supporting face being inclined so as to cause a load to open the door when the locking member is withdrawn.

5. In a device of the character described,

a sliding bolt and means-forlocking'the' same comprising a pivoted bar adapted to fall into alinement with the bolt, slanting engaging surfaces on both members, and a pivoted transverse member adapted to laterally engage the bar for holding the same against pivotal motion.

6. In a device of the character described,

a hinged drop door, a sliding latch bolt adapted to drop into locking position, means for locking the latter comprising a pivoted bar adapted to fall into alinement with the bolt, slanting engaging surfaces on both members, and a pivoted transverse member adapted to laterally engage the bar for holding the same'against pivotal motion and means for temporarily arresting the motion of the pivoted bar so as to allow the latch bolt to become operative.

7. In a scoop bucket for a steam shovel, a hinged drop door tending to close by gravity when the bucket reaches an initial position and to open under the weight of material carried when the bucket reaches a dumping position and a latch for the door having a slanting supporting face adapted to yield to mounted in operative relation for engage-v ment when the door closes and locking means for the latch bolt, the latter bolt having a slanting supporting face to automatically release the door under the weight of the material when the. bucket reaches a dumping position and when the locking means is withdrawn.

WILLIAM' C. SHEA.

HES 

